Atr probe

Abstract

An ATR probe includes a monolithic ATR body which has a surface section contactable with a medium; a sending light conductor arrangement for sending non-collimated light into the ATR body; a receiving light conductor arrangement for receiving the sent light after passage through the ATR body, wherein the passage of the light through the ATR body includes at least two total reflections on a media-contacting surface of the ATR body. The area of the receiving light conductor arrangement, for receiving the light emerging from the ATR body is greater than the area of the sending light conductor arrangement for sending the light into the ATR body. The ATR body includes preferably at least one section having a conically, or frustoconically, shaped surface 24, and the frustoconically shaped surface can be supplied, at least sectionally, with the medium.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . An ATR probe for registering an optical property of a medium, comprising:
 a monolithic ATR body, which has at least one surface section contactable with the medium;   a sending light conductor arrangement for sending non-collimated light into the ATR body;   a receiving light conductor arrangement for receiving sent light after passage through said ATR body, wherein:   the passage of light through said ATR body includes at least two total reflections on said media-contacting surface of the ATR body;   the effective area of said receiving light conductor arrangement, for receiving light emerging from said ATR body, is a factor F greater than the effective area of said sending light conductor arrangement for sending light into said ATR body, wherein F amounts to at least 1, preferably at least 4/3 and further preferably at least 3/2 and especially preferably at least 2; and   said sending light conductor arrangement includes at least two sending light conductors and said receiving light conductor arrangement at least three receiving light conductors.   
     
     
         27 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said ATR body includes at least one section said a conically, or frustoconically, shaped surface, and said frustoconically shaped surface can be supplied at least sectionally with the medium.   
     
     
         28 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein:
 said ATR body includes a cylindrical section, which adjoins the base of said conically, or frustoconically, shaped section.   
     
     
         29 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein:
 said ATR body has a rounded tip, which adjoins said frustoconically shaped section.   
     
     
         30 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , further comprising:
 a ferrule, by means of which said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors are positioned; and   a spacing body, which is arranged between said ferrule and said ATR body; and   said spacing body comprises, for example, an over-extending ring.   
     
     
         31 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said sending light conductor arrangement includes a plurality of sending light conductors.   
     
     
         32 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein:
 end faces of said light conductors have centers arranged on a circular arc;   said circular arc preferably has the cone axis as its center.   
     
     
         33 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein:
 the end faces of said sending light conductors are arranged directly neighboring one another.   
     
     
         34 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein:
 said receiving light conductor arrangement includes a number of receiving light conductors, whose end faces are arranged in a region, whose shortest closed boundary line surrounds a mapping of the end faces of said sending light conductors, which is obtained by a rotation of the end faces of said sending light conductors around the cone axis by an angle of 180 deg.   
     
     
         35 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein:
 the end faces of said receiving light conductors cover at least 20%, preferably at least 35% and especially preferably at least 50% of the area of the region, whose shortest closed boundary line surrounds a mapping of the end faces of said sending light conductors, which is obtained by a rotation of the end faces of said sending light conductors around the cone axis by an angle of 180 deg.   
     
     
         36 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein:
 said receiving light conductor arrangement includes a number of receiving light conductors, whose end faces are arranged in a region, whose shortest closed boundary line surrounds a simulated mapping of the end faces of said sending light conductors, which is obtained by the ray paths of light radiated by said sending light conductors into said ATR body under assumption of a numerical aperture of not less than 0.1 and not more than 0.3 after two total reflections on the cone shaped lateral surface of said ATR body and exiting from said ATR body in the plane of the end faces of said receiving light conductors.   
     
     
         37 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 36 , wherein:
 the simulated mapping is obtained under assumption of a numerical aperture of no more than 0.15 in air; and   the end faces of said receiving light conductors cover at least 20%, preferably at least 35% and especially preferably at least 50% of the area of the region whose shortest closed boundary line surrounds the simulated mapping of the end faces of said sending light conductors.   
     
     
         38 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a ferrule, by means of which said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors are positioned, wherein:   the optical axes of said sending light conductors, and said receiving light conductors, respectively, extend in the ferrule essentially parallel to the axis of said conically, or frustoconically, shaped section.   
     
     
         39 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a ferrule, by means of which said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors are positioned, wherein:   the optical axes of said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors, respectively, in the ferrule are each tilted toward the axis of said conically, or frustoconically, shaped section, so that the k-vector of light radiated along the optical axis of a sending light conductor in said ATR body has a radially inwardly directed component and, respectively, the k-vector of light received along the optical axis of a receiving light conductor in said ATR body has a radially outwardly directed component.   
     
     
         40 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein:
 the optical axes of said sending light conductors, and, respectively, said receiving light conductors, in the ferrule each define a plane parallel to the axis of said conically, or frustoconically, shaped section which is rotated as regards a central plane defined by the axis of said conically, or frustoconically, shaped section and the intersection of the optical axis of said respective light conductor with its end face, so that the k-vector of the light radiated along the optical axis of said sending light conductor has a tangential component in said ATR body, and, respectively, the k-vector of the light received along the optical axis of a receiving light conductor has a tangential component in said ATR body.   
     
     
         41 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein:
 between the end faces of said sending light conductors, in each case, an end face of a receiving light conductor is arranged.   
     
     
         42 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein:
 the centers of the end faces of said sending light conductors define a circle, and the centers of at least half of all receiving light conductors, preferably at least three fourths of all receiving light conductors, especially all receiving light conductors lie within this circle.   
     
     
         43 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said sending light conductor arrangement includes at least one sending light conductor; and   light emitted by a sending light conductor is captured after passage through said ATR body by two or more receiving light conductors.   
     
     
         44 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors each have an end face and the end faces are each spaced a distance of at least λ 0   2  in air, for example, 5 μm, preferably at least 100 μm and further preferably at least 200 μm from a surface section, through which the ray path of light extends from said sending light conductors and to said receiving light conductors, respectively.   
     
     
         45 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors each have an end face, and the end faces have each a separation of no more than a diameter of the respective light conductor from said ATR body.   
     
     
         46 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , further comprising:
 a ferrule, by means of which said sending light conductors and said receiving light conductors are positioned;   a housing with a media-side opening, as well as a sealing ring, which is arranged around the media-side opening; and   said ATR body lies against said sealing ring and is elastically axially clamped between said sealing ring and said ferrule.   
     
     
         47 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 46 , wherein:
 said sending light conductor arrangement and said receiving light conductor arrangement are so positioned and oriented, that light which hits surface sections of said ATR body, against which said sealing ring lies, contributes less than 5%, preferably less than 2% and further preferably less than 1% to the signal of said ATR probe.   
     
     
         48 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said ATR body comprises one of: ZnSe, diamond, sapphire, and Ge with a DLC-coating.   
     
     
         49 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said sending light conductors, and said receiving light conductors, respectively, comprise optical fibers, which preferably comprise silver halide, quartz, a polymer, or chalcogenide, which has sufficient transmission in the wavelength range of the used light.   
     
     
         50 . The ATR probe as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein:
 said sending light conductors, or said receiving light conductors, comprise optical, hollow conductors, which have an internal coating, which contains, for example, silver halide or Au.